SERVICE FAILURE

We recently contracted this landscaping company to do our garden services (on a large smallholding). The owner came to view the property and provided me with a quote for a monthly service (1 times per week). As the garden was quite overgrown, the owner advised me that it will take about a month to get the garden, the flower beds and the grass in a good state of repair - and thereafter the maintenance would be easy. They also said they will ensure that the ****s growing on the driveway will be treated with a pet-friendly alternative to harmful chemicals. Month 1 - all good. They came to cut the grass and did a bit of cleanup. Around the 4th visit, they said that its a "lot of work" and they will do one part of the garden one week and the other part the following week. Note - this was not the agreement upfront, but we agreed. Month 2 came ....the grass is cut .....however the actual "cleaning of the flower beds" and "cleaning of the areas around the fencing" and general "****s" in the grass and the ****s on the paving is not attended to. Also note that they committed to a specific day in the week and a specific time - not once did they arrive on time. Month 3 comes - They dont come on week 1 - and when I ask them where they are the manager tells me - "we did not receive payment" ....again, apparently you need to pay for garden services upfront (i.e. before the garden services are actually done). I was not sent an invoice for Month 3, nor any communication that if payment for the month is not done, that they "just wont pitch". Week 2 its raining, they dont arrive. Week 3 I ask them what is going on. I get told that the "garden is too big" and that I need to pay them for the month. I advise that I will be happy to pay for the remaining 2 weeks of the month, and that they will then owe me a week (as they did not arrive due to rain). As I am desperate to get my garden sorted (this is now 3 weeks, in the rainy season of NO maintenance and its starting to look like an overgrown forest), I ask that if i pay them R1000 extra per month, if they will "do a better job". The owner agrees. Then he tells me that I can pay him the "new" amount (with the R1000 increase) pro-rata for Month 3! I tell him that I am prepared to pay the additional R1000 the following month, but that they still need to do the work (as per the contract and the agreed rate) for THAT month first + the week they missed. What happens next? I just dont hear from them again. They just dont arrive. Oh and he also took a lawnmower from me that was not working, saying that he will get a quote to have it repaired ....I have not seen a quote, nor the lawnmower. I will definitely NOT recommend this company. How can you provide a quote, contract a service and then change your mind later? How can you just 'not pitch" without any communication and then tell me (the customer) that I need to pay more for a service I already contracted? I have never neglected to pay for services - yet I am being treated like a ********. What happened to - first do the work, then get paid. I mean, I dont get my salary at the beginning of the month - I first have to work before I get paid.